


Live and Learn

by obstinateRixatrix



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, a lil goofy a lil serious, set after barn mates (s03e08), set before beta (s03e25)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 20:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14601060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstinateRixatrix/pseuds/obstinateRixatrix
Summary: A conversation about mistakes.





	Live and Learn

Peridot is, without a doubt, a good roommate. A great roommate! Anyone would be lucky to mutually cohabit a living space with her, and that fortune has fallen onto Lazuli.

Of course, it _may_ have taken some trial and error to arrive at a suitable arrangement. It was… difficult, at first, to understand what goes on in Lazuli’s head. Peridot still doesn’t quite understand, but by now she knows to say so.

That’s why when Lazuli asks, “How did you move on from all the mistakes you’ve made?” Peridot knows exactly what to do.

She puts down her flame dispenser, steps away from her morp, and places a hand on Lazuli’s shoulder; a gesture that clearly exhibits ‘attention’ and ‘support’ (according to Steven). “Is this subtext?”

Lazuli stares at Peridot’s hand, then at Peridot. “Is this what?”

“Subtext! You know, when someone _says_ one thing, but there’s implicit meaning that goes beyond what’s being explicitly stated.” Peridot’s seen enough CPH to know subtext when she sees it. Or, hears it. The point is, it’s an observable phenomena that’s happening. Right now. “You’re asking me about me, but are you asking me about _me_?”

“What else would I be asking,” Lazuli says, in what’s clearly an example of a ‘deflect’. “It’s just a question.”

“Uh-huh.” Peridot crosses her arms, making an expression that conveys awareness and compassion. “Sure it is.”

“You’ve just made mistakes,” Lazuli continues. “A _lot_ of mistakes.”

At that, Peridot scoffs. “Please, I haven’t made _that_ many mistakes.”

Lazuli’s stare turns increasingly deadpan. It’s pretty impressive, actually. “Gems don’t get stuck on Earth without making a lot of mistakes.”

Well! That’s an uncomfortable observation, so Peridot ignores it. As a fantastic and helpful roommate, it’s much more important to answer the question originally posed.

“Lazuli, Lazuli, Lazuli. Now, I’m humble enough to admit that even a gem as competent as myself isn’t entirely infallible. There have been occasions where my performance wasn’t… optimal. However! I choose to think of it as… hm.”

What does she think of it as.

It takes a while, long enough that Lazuli wanders off to brood on the roof of the empty storage structure, then work on a morp of her own, then start an episode of Camp Pining Hearts (season five, ugh), but finally, epiphany strikes. Peridot hits the pause button on their (extremely primitive) broadcasting unit so her dramatic snap can be properly heard and appreciated. “As a prototype for success!”

“A prototype,” Lazuli repeats.

“Of course!” It’s a shame Lazuli lacks a background in engineering, otherwise comprehending such a simple analogy would be completely intuitive. “Not every prototype can be successful, but each prototype is necessary to achieve the final product.”

“And mistakes are the prototype?” Lazuli asks, following remarkably well for her lack of context.

“Sure, I started out by following every order issued by homeworld, ready to strip this planet of all its unique resources for a mere geo-weapon, but look at me now! An important and necessary anti-homeworld fugitive, the leader of the Crystal Gems. I couldn’t have possibly gotten here without…”

Being ready to strip this planet of all its unique resources for a mere geo-weapon. Oh, and dragging Lazuli back to Earth as an informant.

“There’s… obviously certain actions I’m not proud of,” Peridot continues, “and there’s more I have to learn. But I’m getting there.”

With that admission they fall into silence; there’s nothing, aside from the static of the broadcasting unit and various sounds from the organic ecosystem around the barn. So, there’s lots of things.

“You know,” Lazuli starts, luckily before Peridot asks if they can resume the episode, “I’m pretty sure you could survive anything.”

“Nope! I shatter like any other gem. Easier than most, probably! Peridots aren’t very durable compared to gems built for combat; a quartz—”

“No, I don’t mean like that. What I’m trying to say is… you’re pretty amazing.”

“I am? I mean, of course I am!” Peridot grins, trying not to seem too pleasantly surprised by the compliment. Luckily, she has the gesture of utmost nonchalance in her arsenal— finger guns. “You could learn a thing or two from me, Lazuli.”

“Yeah,” she says. “I’ll try.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> hey re: Can’t Go Back.......................................... #spoilers but I’m still dying over ‘I couldn’t understand how you could be so bold’


End file.
